Air distributing units



April 5, 1955 R. l.. CARLSON ET AL 7059595 AIR DISTRIBUTING UNITS FiledJune 24, 1955 IN VEN TORS United States Patent O "ice AIR DISTRIBUTINGUNITS Raymond L. Carlson, West Roxbury, and Homer Potonides, Hyde Park,Mass., assignors to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh,Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application June 24, 1953, Serial No.363,850

3 Claims. (Cl. 236-13) This invention relates to air conditioningapparatus, and relates more particularly to temperature and volumecontrols for such apparatus.

As disclosed in the co-pending application of John E. McDonald, SerialNo. 327,360, led December 22, 1952, when local, air distributing unitsare supplied with conditioned air under pressure from a centralconditioner, load changes may caused the volume of conditioned airsupplied to a local unit to vary beyond the dampering variation providedby its associated thermostat. Since it is desired to maintain a constantdelivery volume from each local unit, it has been necessary to provideadditional controls for maintaining a constant air volume from eachunit.

This invention provides a simple, self-contained dampering unit havingtwo spaced-apart diaphragms lined-up with an air outlet consisting of aplurality of perforations in a sheet or plate like member, the frontdiaphragm being capable of covering the perforations. Conditioned airunder pressure is admitted into a chamber behind the back diaphragm, andbetween the two diaphragms. A thermostat controls the release of airfrom the chamber behind the back diaphragm, and by restricting thevolume of air released from the chamber, pressure is built up in thechamber, causing the back diaphragm to force the front diaphragm forwardto cover perforations in the air outlet. A volume control controls therelease of air from the space between the diaphragms, and by restrictingthe volume of air released from such space, pressure is built up betweenthe diaphragms causing the front diaphragm to cover perforations in theair outlet. The two diaphragms and their controls maintain a desiredtemperature in a room served by an air distributing unit, with aconstant volume of air delivered by the unit into the room.

An object of this invention is to provide in a single unit, air volumecontrol diaphragms each responsive to a different condition.

Another object of this invention is to provide in a single unit, a pairof air volume control diaphragms, one responsive to temperaturevariations, and the other responsive to air volume variations.

Another object of this invention is to provide in a single air damperingunit, a pair of dampering diaphragms, both responsive to conditioned airunder pressure, one controlled by a thermostat, and the other controlledby a volume control.

This invention will now be described with reference to the drawings, ofwhich:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, in section, of an air distributing unitembodying this invention;

Fig. 2 is a view looking at the outlet of one of the air dampering unitsof Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side section of one of the dampering units ofFigs. 1 and 2.

The air distributing unit illustrated by Fig. 1 of the drawings,comprises a relatively long, relatively narrow casing having an airoutlet grille 11 in its upper wall; having a warm air supply duct 12 inthe lower portion of one end, and having a cool air supply duct 13 inthe lower portion of its other end.

The metal plate 14 extends at acute angles to the end wall and the lowerwall of the unit adjacent the duct 12, and forms with the said side andbottom walls, a warm air chamber 15 triangular in section, into whichthe duct 12 discharges. The similar metal plate 16 extends at acuteangles to the opposite end wall and the lower wall Patented Apr. 5, 1955of the unit adjacent the duct 13, and forms with the opposite end walland the bottom wall, a cool air chamber 17 triangular in section, intowhich the duct 13 discharges.

The plates 14 and 16 have central portions 18 which are perforated andwhich serve as air outlets from the chambers 15 and 17, and whichdischarge into the mixing chamber 19. The mixing chamber 19 has twohorizontally extendlng, spaced apart boards 20 and 21 of soundinsulating material which provide a constricted passage 22 between themixing chamber 19 and the air outlet grille 11. The airfoil section 23is attached to the lever 25 which is pivoted at 26 to the support 27attached to the board 21, and responds to the velocity of the airllowing through the passage 22.

Below each of the perforated plates 14 and 16 and supported therefrom bythe spaced-apart bolts 28 is a pan-shaped back plate 29 and two flexiblediaphragms 30 and 31. The diaphragms are spaced apart by the spacers 32through which the bolts 28 extend. One plate 29 has one end of a tube 34extending therethrough. The other end of the tube 34 terminates adjacentthe thermostat strip 35. Another tube 36 has one end terminatingadjacent the thermostat strip 35 opposite the other end of the tube 34,and has its other end extending through the other plate 29.

Each spacer 32 has one end of a tube 37 extending therethrough andconnecting with the space between its associated diaphragms 30 and 31.The other ends of the tubes 37 are connected to the tubes 38 whichterminate adjacent the airfoil lever 25.

Each spacer 32 also has one end of a tube 40 extending therethrough andconnecting with the space between its associated diaphragms 30 and 31.The other ends of the tubes 40 extend into respective warm and cool airchambers 15 and 17.

Operation In operation, warm air under static pressure would be suppliedthrough the duct 12 into the chamber 15. Cool air under static pressurewould be supplied through the duct 13 into the chamber 17. Assuming thediaphragms 30 and 31 do not completely cover the perforations in theperforated portions 18 of the plates 14 and 16, then air from thechambers 15 and 17 would pass between the diaphragms 30 and the plates14 and 16 into the mixing chamber 19, and then through the passage 22and from the outlet grille 11.

If the thermostat calls for warmer air, it will move its strip 35 nearerthe adjacent end of the tube 34 and further from the adjacent end of thetube 36. This will cause an increase in the pressure behind thediaphragm 31 of the damper unit for the cool air chamber 17 as a resultof the increased resistance to the flow to atmosphere past thethermostat strip 35 of the air which entered the orice 33 of that damperunit. The diaphragm 31 of that damper unit will move nearer towards theperforated portion 18 of its associated plate 16, and will reduce thevolume of cool air.

At the same time there will be a decrease in the air pressure behind thediaphragm 31 in the damper unit for the warm air chamber 15 as a resultof the tecreased resistance to the flow to atmosphere past thethermostat strip 35 of the air which entered the oriiice 33 of the warmair damper unit. The diaphragm 31 of that unit will move further fromthe perforated portion 18 of its associated plate 14, and will increasethe volume of warm air.

When the thermostat calls for cooling, the diaphragm 31 of the cool airdamper unit will move further from its associated perforated plateportion 18 to permit the passage of a larger volume of cool air, and thediaphragm 31 of the warm air damper unit will move closer to itsassociated perforated plate portion 18 to throttle the warm air flow.

lf the volume of conditioned air passing through the constricted passage22 increases above the design volume, the resultant increase in airvelocity will cause the airfoil section 23 to lift and to move the lever25 nearer to the end of the tube 38. This will cause an increasedresistance to the flow to atmosphere through the tube 38 of the airwhich entered through the two tubes 40, the spaces between thediaphragms 30 and 31 of both the warm and cool air damper units. Thiswill cause an increase in the pressure in the air between the diaphragms31 and 30 so that the diaphragms 30 will be forced nearer to theperforated plate portions 18, and reducing the volume of warm air and ofcool air.

When the volume of conditioned air passing the airfoil section 23 isreduced, then the latter will move the lever 25 further from theadjacent end of the tube 38 permitting the air between the respectivediaphragms 30 and 31 to ow more freely to atmosphere so that thepressure therebetween is reduced and the diaphragms 30 can move furtherfrom the perforated plate portions 18, and permitting the passage oflarger volumes of warm and cool air.

While one embodiment of the invention has been described for the purposeof illustration, it should be understood that the invention is notlimited to the exact apparatus and arrangement of apparatus illustrated,since modifications thereof may be suggested by those skilled in theart, without departure from the essence of the invention` What isclaimed, is:

1. An air distributing unit comprising a conditioned air supply chamberhaving a conditioned air supply diret connected thereto, said chamberhaving a perforated plate at one side thereof, the perforations in saidplate forming a conditioned air outlet from said chamber, a back platespaced from and aligned with said perforated plate, front and rearexible diaphragms secured at their edges between said plates andextending between said plates in alignment therewith, said back platehaving an orice therein for admitting conditioned air under pressurefrom said chamber to force said diaphragms forwardly for moving saidfront diaphragm against said perforated plate to cover perforationstherein, and having a second orice for permitting the escape of saidair, means for admitting air from said chamber between said diaphragms,and means for permitting the escape of air from between said diaphragms.

2. An air distributing unit as claimed in claim 1 in which meansincluding thermostatic means is provided for variably restricting the owof air through said second orifice, and in which means including airvolume control means is provided for variably restricting the said meansfor permitting the escape of air from between said diaphragms.

3. An air distributing unit comprising a warm air supply chamber havinga warm air supply duct connected thereto, a cool air supply chamberhaving a cool air supply duct connected thereto, said chambers havingperforated plates at sides thereof, the perforations in said platesserving as air outlets from said chambers, back plates aligned with andspaced from said perforated plates, a pair of flexible diaphragmssecured at their edges to each back plate and extending between andaligned with respective perforated and back plates, said back plateshaving first orifices therein for admitting air from their respectivechambers in between the back plates and the adjacent diaphragms, andhaving second orices therein for permitting the escape of the lastmentioned air from between the back plates and the adjacent diaphragms,means for admitting air from said chambers in between the diaphragms ofsaid pairs, means including thermostatic means for reducing the volumeof air escaping from one of said second orices and for simultaneouslyincreasing the volume of air escaping from the other of said secondorifices, means for permitting the escape of air from between thediaphragms of said pairs, and means including air volume control meansfor adjusting the last mentioned means for simultaneously reducing thevolume of air escaping from between the diaphragms of said pairs.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,996,330 Goshaw Apr. 2, 1935 2,282,755 Bondurant et al May l2, 19422,584,420 Branson Feb. 5, 1952

